Do you like to dance as if no one is watching?

"The world likes humor," said E.B. White. Every human has an innate sense of humor, of course, but it's pretty evident that not everybody has a good sense of humor.

In 1976, famous evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins coined the term “meme.” He described memes as an attempt to understand behaviors that make no sense from an evolutionary perspective but are widespread in human culture. The internet has riffed on that concept, hard. But is it still true to say that memes make no sense in human evolution? As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc, could one argue that memes are providing a very helpful evolutionary function, in that they are helping us stop from descending into panic and chaos by providing an outlet for a shared sense of humor? 

Throughout history, humor has played a role in the darkest times, as a psychological salve and shared release. Large swaths of the population are living in isolation, instructed to eye with suspicion any stranger who wanders within six feet. And coronavirus jokes have become a form of contagion themselves, providing a remaining thread to the outside world for the isolated — and perhaps to sanity itself.

We've all heard the popular saying, "Laughter is the best medicine." But does that type of thinking apply to something as serious as a global pandemic? Most psychologists would say yes. Humor helps people take back their sense of power in a powerless situation and it helps them connect with others—two things we have lost during this pandemic. 

Although there is nothing particularly funny about what we're going through, science suggests that those funny memes, crazy TikTok videos, and snarky online quotes may be just what we need to ease the overwhelming fear, anxiety, and grief many of us are dealing with on a daily basis.

Mental health professionals say humor is a balm for soothing nerves, not just by tickling funny bones but also by decreasing stress hormones. Clinical evidence shows high levels of stress can weaken immune systems. Laughter also increases the number of antibody-producing cells we have working in our bodies. And, it enhances our T-cells, which are at the core of adaptive immunity and help tailor our immune response. All of this equates to a stronger immune system.

Obviously, the seriousness of COVID-19 is no laughing matter. People are dying every day, and those in the medical field are being stretched beyond what any person should have to bear. But, we all need to find a way to cope with the dangers and limitations we're facing or risk serious mental health consequences.

We laugh, then, to take back control and to connect—two things we have lost in our fight against the coronavirus. Not only are we unable to stop the tidal wave of infection washing over us, but we are being forced to endure this reality alone in our own home. Powerless and isolated, we’re finding that the joke is now our most reliable shield—and our warmest comfort blanket.